


No Matter What

by DxTURA



Category: Mabinogi (Video Game)
Genre: Leifon, Syphiki - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22669903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DxTURA/pseuds/DxTURA
Summary: I'll come out into the light, if I know it isn't right to hide.Songfic featuring two OCs - one of mine, and one of a friend's!
Kudos: 1





	No Matter What

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friendos!! Thanks in advance for reading!  
> This fic was like, a test run for me to really stretch out Syphiki's personalities on those he doesn't consider love interests. Lei also gave me permission to write his character out, so that's fun.
> 
> ...and dark brooding OCs that I made in like 2014 are coming back in 2020. This isn't much, but I hope you like it!

“ _Give me something I don’t know if I can fight,_

_I’ll come out into the light,_

_If I know it isn’t right to hide.”_

* * *

“Don’t move. Erebus got you good.”

Syphiki had fled into the cryptic pseudo-forest that cuddled certain areas on the Beach of Scathach after Leifon took a head-on hit to his waist. The two were tasked by Sinead to investigate an anomaly in the area, which – at first glance – wasn’t _that_ dangerous of a task. Yes, the beach was dangerous, but that wasn’t news to anyone that knew of it. The purple and black landscape, combined with varying degrees of fog, was already a telltale sign for people to stay away.

Still, as dangerous as the area was, Leifon and Syphiki knew their way around it fairly well. They’re almost always in the area performing investigations, so this _really_ shouldn’t have been any different. However, it was when they encountered the _cause_ of the anomaly, that they realized they probably should’ve requested more people to assist with the mission.

Syphiki set Leifon against the tree and tore away some of his (favorite) uniform to reveal a congealed, black blob that covered the remainder of his side with “cracks” of some kind. No, he _knew_ what kind it was.

Their target, Erebus, was known for this type of injury.

An artificial god who swore his life to Cichol. A character who Syphiki knew, but preferred not to talk about. Why did it have to be _him_ of all people causing problems today?

He used his teeth to rip some of the cloth off his dress and tenderly wrapped it around the wound. Leifon tried to sit right back up, but a hand prevented him from doing so.

“I’ll be f-fine...”

Syphiki narrowed his eyes. “No, you won’t. This isn’t your normal injury, Lei. You’ll only exacerbate it if you fight with it.”

“This isn’t anything— _ugh_ —I can’t handle,” A lie. Leifon’s ragged revealed was proof of that. “He might have nicked me, but—”

“That wasn’t a ‘nick’. That was him at full power.” Syphiki interrupted him and equipped the chain blade that he attached to his leg for easy access. “How many crystals do you have on you?”

“More than enough. Why?”

“Use your alchemy to close it up. That’ll buy us enough time to get out of here.” Syphiki hummed, “I’m going to drive this nuisance away.”

“Oh, and _I’m_ the one that’s in danger? You’re... a fool if you think you can handle him yourself.” Leifon hissed, but reached for his cylinder all the same. “I’m going with you.”

Syphiki shot his head back, “Absolutely _not_.”

“You’re being stubborn!”

“ _You’re_ the one being stubborn.” He coiled the blade around him, “That wound is no ordinary wound. Erebus has the ability to fester the damage he’s done. You’ll _die_ if you try to fight him on your own.”

“Me? Die? Have you forgotten that I’m a _Milletian_? The only one whose going to die here is _you_.” Leifon rose to his feet after he covered the wound. “You are _Tuath De_. He’ll cut you down first.”

 _Oh, so he hasn’t_ told _you, yet._

Syphiki stepped away from the tree and lashed at the air, revealing Erebus deflecting the attack with a shield forming from his hand.

“Not bad. . . I even made sure to mask the mana.” Erebus launched himself a few feet away and revealed himself in full. Black wings and all. “Still, for a boy who holds his friends so highly you sure keep a lot of secrets.”

Syphiki crouched and pointed the blade towards the other. “You’re the reason the forest is dense with darkness, yes?”

“You like it? It’s your favorite color and all.” Erebus took a few steps forward, “Reviving the undead was too cliché, too bland. I merely wanted to do something spontaneous and eye-catching.”

“This beach is already dangerous enough. You need _not_ involve innocents in this.”

“Oh, but that’s the thing, Sippy: my job _is_ to involve innocents – dead or alive.” He tapped the edge of his staff on the floor, and it transformed into a scythe. “Besides, don’t you think it’s rather rude to lead people on?”

Syphiki pursed his lips. That was never his intention, he just—

“Tuath De? _Tuath De_?! You gave that life up long ago, and you know it.” His laugh swam through each word, “You made a pact with Cichol and haven’t kept up. I’m here to collect his dues.”

Leifon’s eyes widened. Goddammit, Erebus.

“Tell Cichol that he needs to get off of his high horse.” Syphiki shouted and cracked his blade towards him again. “I’m not going with you.”

“Then I’ll have to take you by _force_.”

Syphiki knew he couldn’t waste his breath on petty banter any longer. The quicker he could drive out Erebus, the quicker they could go back home. _And_ the less Leifon knew, the better.

At first glance their battle seemed like they were just poking and prodding the surface with little effort, but that wasn’t the case in the slightest. He was going easy on the God of Death, while _they_ were ramming into him with as much power as possible. Each slice of the scythe was either caught between Syphiki’s hands or deflected by the half-gauntlets, but he rarely had a chance to counter unless he left himself wide open and that was out of the question.

Erebus wasn’t one to accept stalemates, though. He called away his weapon and his hands stained themselves black. His nails grew into claws, his eyes grew brighter than before, and it wasn’t long before some bright pink aura formed around him. Great. _More_ trouble.

Erebus fired an array of bolts towards Syphiki, and - though he was able to knock the chain blade away - his opponent was still able to deflect them into various trees and grass patches after creating a shield. Syphiki whipped out his cylinder from his right leg's pouch and pressed the demon back with a gust of wind after he attached it to his arm.

How long had that wind crystal sat there? Talk about sheer luck!

"You are truly more trouble than you're worth." Erebus ascended into the air, "No matter. . . This ends now!"

Syphiki took note of Erebus' beeline in his direction. Right for the chest, huh? Typical of a God of his caliber. He would just have to jump out of the way. And he did.

Except... if there was any moment where he miscalculated this horribly it was here and now.

Erebus wasn't aiming for his chest. He wasn't gonna use his demon claws to rip his heart out. He was aiming for the ground. The ground near Leifon. The ground that he should've blocked off as soon as he could.

Syphiki’s head snapped towards his friend, who (inaccurately) aimed his cylinder into the god’s direction. His outcry was visceral. “WATCH OUT!”

Though, by the time his words reached Leifon he was far too late. Cracks traversed the ground, black tendrils spawned from the underground and snap-coiled around Leifon’s waist.

Syphiki didn’t even have to _hear_ the cry to know that it hurt. Blood was staining the green on his outfit now.

He took a running start in the direction, but some of those same tendrils caged him off entirely. Erebus stood atop of them, one hand open, the other clenched shut – cackles loud and ear-piercing.

“Ooh, too _slow_ , Syphy. You really should’ve known better.” He clicked his tongue, “Once again, your stubbornness has gotten you into more trouble than you would’ve liked!”

Syphiki blasted a line of fire towards the barricade, but every time it broke through it only reformed seconds after. With his blade out of commission, he couldn’t channel what he needed to break through. Great. Just great.

“Let him go, Erebus. He is nothing more than an accomplice in this.”

“What, and ruin this once-in-a-lifetime chance to see your face the way it is?” He tightened his grip, and Leifon cried out again. “This all-in-one meal of fear, regret, _and_ sorrow... all because you didn’t want to come back.”

The pseudo-elf turned to his prey, “And _you._ Aren’t you just as much of a fool to believe this child? To think that he was nothing more than a defenseless human being, but in reality he’s just a Fomor in disguise?”

Leifon didn’t respond, and Syphiki couldn’t tell if it’s because he was stunned into shock or because of the severe pain. Probably a mix of both.

“Syphiki gave his life up a long time ago, green one.” Erebus shook his head, “Now, I could go _on and on_ about the specifics, but you _should_ know he swore allegiance to _us_ so he could get a second chance at life...”

Okay, Syphiki had to think. _Fast_. Erebus knew a lot about him; actually, he knew almost _everything_ about him. His past. His true reasoning. Leifon would probably kill him upon recovering and, honestly, he could probably live with that. Yes, his atonement for sinning to begin with.

But, he had to be honest, Leifon can’t kill him if he bleeds to death. His weapons were useless. The little magic he used was useless. There _was_ one way that he could handle this, but – well – it was risky. Very risky.

Syphiki preferred having control, and letting his powers consume him was the antithetic anthology of that.

Should he? Probably not. Would he? Probably so. He promised himself that – regardless of what happened to him – he wouldn’t allow his friends to lose themselves here and now.

And so, he dropped his weapon to the ground and placed both hands over his heart.

A quiet incantation led to a magic circle – marked with the trademark symbol of the Fomors – appearing at his feet. It turned purple, then red, then black. His gauntlets fell off his hands, illuminated feathers encircled him, and out from his back sprung two great-violet wings. His earrings – normally purple – were suddenly bright red.

Out from under his dress came numerous blades that quickly coiled around his entire body. At the very end of it was an easy access sickle.

Any other time, and he would be channeling Dorcha to fight back. But, right now?

Right now he would have to rely on his own flesh and blood to push him through.

He slowly closed his eyes, and shook his head. One sickle. Two sickles. Three. Six different blades surrounded him, and a blood-curdling cry slipped from his lips.

He would have to apologize to Leifon later. Maybe. He might consider hiding once again, but he’d think about that later.

Right now, Erebus needed to be stopped. Even if it costed him everything.


End file.
